Syeda Farida Batool
e-mail: farida.b@gmail.com, soorajculture@yahoo.co.uk
tel: (92) 42-5835022, 42-5856895, fax: (92) 42- 5832683
add: 58 G-Gulberg 3, Lahore, Pakistan.
Education
2003
1995
1993
MA Art History and Theory (Research): College of Fine Arts,
University of New South Wales, Australia.
Short course in hand papermaking, at New School of Social Research,
NY.
Bachelor of Fine Arts: 4 years degree in Fine Arts from National
College of Arts, Lahore.
Major: Painting, Minor: Sculpture.
Publications
 The Tapestry from Pakistan is Red, an article published in The News,
31/10/2004
 FIGURE: The Popular and the Political in Pakistan, a book published by
ASR Publications, Lahore, in 2004. http://www.faridabatool.blogspot.com
 Book review published in The Nation, 12/09/2004
 Representing the Figure: Popular Culture of Pakistan, TAASA Review,
The Journal of the Asian Arts Society of Australia, vol.9, No.2, June 2000
 That’s Not Aboriginal Art?, www.artmonthly.org.au/review, 27/09/2000
 Last Word, Uniken, UNSW Community Magazine, No. 9, November 2001
Work Experience
2003
Assistant Professor: Responsible to coordinate and teach Art and Society
class for Foundation Year BFA, and South Asian Art Seminar for II Year, in
School of Visual Arts, Beaconhouse National University, Lahore.
1997-99
Research Scholar: National College of Arts, Lahore
This research was designed to document contemporary art (paintings
and sculpture) of Pakistan in audio/visual form to develop an inventory
at NCA Library. The collected and documented material has become
part of Pakistani section in the library and being in use for MA Visual
Arts students as well as under graduate students.
1995-97
Project Officer: Hawwa associates, Lahore.
Responsible for promoting women in business and supervised training
for new rural projects including block printing, handloom weaving and
implementing business-training program for approximately 320
women.
Conducted a project in rural areas of Pakistan under United Nations
Fund for Women and Development and also delegated Global Credit
Conference for Women in Developing Nations in Amman, Jordan,
sponsored by UNDP.
1995-97
Conducted several community projects within rural and urban
localities of Sind and Punjab as well as Bangladesh and India. These
projects included series of art and visual workshops for disseminating
women empowerment and awareness program. UNESCAP, Women
Institute, Lahore and Dastak (women shelter home) sponsored these
projects.
1995-97
Researched and documented several historical buildings and visual
culture of India and Pakistan in slide forms.
Teaching Experience
Tutor: Since July 2001, have been responsible to take tutorials for
‘Mapping the Postmodern’ and ‘Mapping the Modern’, for three
classes/week at College of Fine Arts, UNSW. This course aims to
cover the history and theoretical discourse over the period of 1850present times respectively.
April 2001
Lectured in Research Seminar at National College of Arts, Lahore, on
emerging issues surrounding identity of contemporary Pakistani
culture.
Oct.2000
Lecture: Delivered a lecture ‘Postcolonial 2’ for Mapping the Post
Modern at COFA, UNSW.
July 2002
Lecture: discussed the construction of the ‘difference’ in postcolonial
society specifically Pakistani art and visual culture, in Dr. Diane
Losche’s class Culture and Difference, COFA, UNSW
July–Nov2000 Tutor: Responsible for conducting two tutorials/week for Mapping the
Post Modern at COFA, UNSW.
May2000
Gave a talk with Dr. David McNiel in the class ‘Peripheral Vision’ on
how artists from Islamic and Other cultures are negotiating their
identities with mainstream art practice, COFA, UNSW.
1998
Co-coordinator: As coordinator of Research Seminar for Fourth Year
Fine Arts at National College of Arts Pakistan, for one session, I was
responsible to conduct discussions on contemporary issues in art, like
feminism, State and artist, traditional and western painting styles, by
inviting guest speakers and later generating discussions among
students. Also responsible for evaluating their research papers, training
them research methodologies etc.
1996-7
Teaching Assistant: Assisted for three terms in Western Art History
and for Third Year Design and Fine Arts at National College of Arts,
Lahore. I was mainly responsible for preparing material (slides and
reference notes etc.) for lectures, students record keeping and
evaluation of their exam papers.
1998
Conducted a seminar and a workshop with 22 art students at NCA. The
theme of the seminar was ‘why museums make us sad?’, to explore
how nationalism and national identity is reconstructed through
museum culture; and for workshop the concept of ‘Hero’ was explored
with socio-political context and Pakistani cinema board painters as
inspiration.
2001-2002
Exhibitions
2006
2005
2005
The Blink, solo exhibition of lenticular prints at Rohtas 2, Lahore
Pakistan.
Circanvalcao, a communitarian art project in Portugal, in which I
designed and constructed a permanent sight specific artwork during the
residency period of one month.
Beyond Borders: Art from Pakistan, National Gallery of Modern Art
(NGMA), Mumbai.
2004
Skin, two persons show at Rohtas 2, Lahore, Pakistan.
2004
INTERSTATION, Artists Beyond Boundaries, a mixed media video
installation at Kudos Gallery, Sydney, where eleven artists from nine
countries participated.
Memories, an ongoing art project for Argentinean artists from
Tacuman City.
2003-4
2003
1989- 2000
1995-97
1997
1997
1996
1996
1995
1994
1993
Participated in Cairo Biennale.
Exhibited in many group shows in Lahore and Islamabad.
Participation in national exhibitions at Islamabad and Lahore.
Scope’97 , a faculty art exhibition at National Art College.
Co-curated a drawing show at National College of Arts, Lahore,
Designed and executed four murals (12 x 8ft) for Imam Bargah
(devotional place for Shiites)
Participated in an installation show at National College of Arts,
Lahore.
Curated and participated in women artists of Pakistan , Womenscape
II, Alhamra art gallery, Lahore.
Co-organized and participated in an exhibition of women artists of
Pakistan, Womenscape, Alhamra art gallery, sponsored by ASR
resource center.
Designed and painted a mural (39 x 9ft) in ceramic tiles and glazes
with sculptural forms attached on it. It is permanently installed at
national College of Arts, Lahore, as part of degree show.
Awards
2000 – 2002
1994
1990-93
Film
Senior Asian Artist: Recipient of Senior Asian Artist Scholarship,
COFA, UNSW, that covers the entire tuition fees of the MA study.
Jang Talent Award: Been selected for Talent Award by leading Urdu
Newspaper, Lahore.
NCA Merit Scholarship: I have been the recipient of Merit scholarship
at NCA during the entire course of undergraduate study.
2003
2001
1999
1999
Belief and Reality: A short film on Moharram’s mourning celebration
of Mochi Gate. This film aims to look at the subtle cultural
phenomenon originating within scared emotional economy. (10 min.)
Against My Will: Researched, interviewed and translated a documentary
film on runaway women in Pakistan, made by Amnesty International,
Nederland. (50 min.)
Art Teaching for Primary Children: as Assistant Director and
researcher worked with Salima Hashmi, the director for an educational
film for PTV, an Ilm Film Production, Karachi, Pakistan. (50 min.)
Giddha: a documentary about women’s traditional dance form,
Giddha. (20 min.)